A/N: I'm sorry for my long updates! But my job leaves me only little time for me to focus one writing so it is not always easy, trust me! I'll try my best to update faster, i promise. Onto the newest chapter now.

Kiba has always been a bit of a broken heart. Hinata would never return his affections. Sometimes, he just wished Naruto would have dated Sakura instead, not to mention that the blond idiot would always lust after the medic back then. That was his only hope to have the girl he initially wanted. But fate had other plans: Hinata eventually confessed her love as she shielded her crush from a lethal blow that could have killed her hadn't Sakura been there to heal her. And for the dog lover, all hope for romantic involvement had been blown away at that very moment.

He was now a well respected Jounin and would strive to always get better with his techniques, training relentlessly with Akamaru under his harsh mother, under Kakashi Hatake or even under someone as demanding as Baki, the sensei of Kankuro who he had been introduced to 3 years ago. He was good friends with the Sabaku middle child, and of course with Shino as well as Shikamaru. He was also on friendly terms with Naruto himself, even when Hinata was around. Both youngsters were birds of a feather in many ways, except Kiba was much more perceptive and much less idiotic than the Rokudaime. His skills in detection had gone as great as being able to sense the emotional state of anyone if he got close enough to them thanks to the pheromones emanating from their bodies. Everything was fine for him. Except he wanted to find someone to love but couldn't.

Thinking about it, he never had so much luck with women. Not that he was too ugly to get laid, au contraire. Being handsome and attractive is very useful when you want to have lots of sex. And boy, how much sex did he get! His getting older also meant him to acquire a chiseled and manly physique. All he needed to do then was to show off that new body of his. Which he did of course. But even then, after all that attention from pretty girls, after all that dirty hot sex, he still felt a void inside of him. Even the less popular Shino had gotten a steady girlfriend whom he married, while Kiba was still jumping from one fling to another, never truly satisfied. At one time, he even considered dating another man since women were getting tired. But a little make out session on a drunken night with Kankuro settled his mind: men didn't work for him. He only found solace in his mutt who was the only being he trusted with his heart.

Eventually, Kiba realized it was time to move on and sought out Hinata to confess everything he felt for her. For the second time in his life, he shed a tear, the first time having been the untimely death of his father. And then he got to know his team mate's younger sister, Hanabi. She joined the Jounin ranks a year ago, always being in the wake of the serious Neji.

She didn't look like Hinata (eyes aside) but her quiet demeanour did remind him of his friend. But where Hinata was gentle, Hanabi seemed coldly collected and incredibly obedient to her clan's strict rules. Although he would talk to her regularly about professional matters, even joking with her sometimes, he never tried to woo her. To be true, the quasi omnipresence of Neji near her nullified any intent to talk to her on a personal level. But her scent appealed to him, which was a very important thing to the Inuzukas in terms of choosing a mate. It was a bit similar to that of Hinata but different too. And this was also what he was afraid of. Hanabi seemed to be aware of his initial inclination towards her sister. How would she react if he ever asked her out? Any girl in this situation would feel like a consolation prize and he didn't see her that way at all.

But last night, he met her in a totally different context and he noticed her odor was not that of somebody contemptuous or indifferent. She desired him. He could recognize that particular pheromone in any girl. And he also could tell that she didn't desire anybody else present that night: she only gave off said pheromone when she looked at him. Not to mention that she had forgone her usual kimono that completely hid her shapely body for a much sexier suit. And this is what he liked : her outfit wasn't skintight nor did it show so much skin like that of that Ino-bimbo, but it still adorned and revealed her body. And he had to admit that it aroused him more than anything. So when he walked her home last night, he wanted to give her a passionate kiss instead of a peck on the cheek. But, to prove his reputation wrong, he would have to wait before doing this. For the first time since a long time, he wanted to treat a girl right… And it felt good.

All these thoughts ran through his mind as both were riding on Akamaru's back through the branches of Konoha's outer forest together, speaking of a thousand things. Having Akamaru accepting her on his back without attacking the Hyuuga girl supported his decision even more. His dog was also a very important indicator for him, plus Hanabi always showed affection to the now giant nin dog. After they exited the Hokage's parlor, he told her he wanted to spend some time with her and she agreed to go with him.

"Hey, I didn't see your beloved cousin."

"He's on a training session with his Genin squad."

"Neji's handling a Genin squad?" he said in disbelief "How come? I asked for it like 3 times and they never accepted!"

"You know, the Hyuuga clan's rules are very strict as well as you know. Hence, we all rank high in the Council's esteem. But isn't Hana in charge of a squad as well?"

"Well yeah. They say she has the abilities to handle Genins. They said I was too reckless and too inexperienced… Shit! I had my first life-or-death mission at age 13 and I completed many similar missions since then! If that doesn't count as experience, I don't know what does!"

"I'm sure it's just a matter of time. No need to worry. By the way, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, Kiba-san." Hanabi turned to him with a serious gaze

"Yes, what is it?"

"Please promise me to be honest."

Hah, here comes the big question Kiba thought "I promise I will be. I don't wanna lie to you so no use to give me that look"

"You barely ever spoke to me the way you do now before last night. Moreover, you kissed me right in front of our estate. Are you trying to spite my sister or to get to her by doing this? I know you were interested in her." the chestnut-haired girl asked him coldly

"Yes I had a crush on your sister back in the days but this belongs to the past. I am not after her any longer. To be true, I was kind of expecting this question. And your reaction is understandable. As for why I never asked you out before, well it's because you seemed on a leash. Your cousin is always near you so I didn't want to cause a fuss by asking to talk to you in private. I know your clan and its rules. I didn't want to put you in trouble."

Akamaru barked, letting know that he was a bit tired of carrying a double charge. The trio settled in a clearing and let Akamaru rest for a while.

"So Hinata-onesan has nothing to do with all of this then?"

"Nothing at all. I'm not spending time with you because you're Hinata's sister. I'm spending time with you because I want to know you and because I think you're fairly bright and enlightened for a girl of your age."

"Speaking of which, am I not a little young for you?" she asked with a hint of sadness

"Does Gaara give a shit about his age difference with Matsuri? How much younger than him is she?" Kiba said, a little irritated

Hanabi giggled and sent the boy a grateful look. "Thank you, Kiba-san. I appreciate this honesty. Even if it's a little blunt, I still appreciate it."

Both remained silent for a while, staring at each other, smiling. She wanted him to hug her. He wanted to hold her but didn't want her to think him hasty or perverted. So he waited for her call.

"Kiba, would you mind taking me in your arms?" she eventually asked with a slight blush

He didn't answer and held her close, gently. She smelled so good, her hair was so smooth. He wanted to do much more to her but she seemed so delicate right now that he preferred to have it that way. It's been such a long time since he held a girl without groping her… For the first time, Hanabi knew the feel of a man's body, a hairy one at that but she didn't mind. His strong arms didn't feel as rugged as she dreaded they would. She was wondering if it was okay to do this… Until she felt at ease enough to chase these unpleasant thoughts. Suddenly, Kiba tensed up.

"What's wrong?"

"Four…Five. Yes, five. There are five ninjas coming our way."

"Hang in there, I will identify them right away." She took her chakra moulding stance "BYAKUGAN!"

She quickly spotted the five moving chakras and recognized them. She immediately relaxed.

"No need to sweat, Kiba. It's the team of Kakashi, they're coming back."

"Then we need to go back as well. I guess we will be needed for the upcoming mission." The boy said as he stood up, regretfully letting go of Hanabi

"You mean… Retrieving the Rokudaime's aunt?"

"That's right. Don't you want to go on this mission?"

She smiled, understanding he would go too "I'd love too."

Both leapt up to the trees with Akamaru and hurried back to Konoha.

ROOT Headquarters, in the mean time…

"We are loosing more and more men, Danzo-sama. All of them have vanished without any explanation. Do you think the Hokage is acting against us?"

"Of course he is, Amano. But he is clever enough not to make his moves too open for me to go and ask him about it. But I wasn't expecting Madara-san to come out like this. I am sure there is some good reason."

"What do you want to do?"

"Moriya and Rasestumaru are already eavesdropping on Kakashi's team report. If they ever decide to make a move, then you are all to intervene. However, I might put out two of them for you. Hopefully, we can delay them long enough if Nara-dono is convicted of having impregnated the Kazekage's sister. But for now, we will just wait for your fellows' comeback."

"Alright."

The Hokage's parlor, late afternoon…

The senior Jounins were greeted by an assembly of shinobis waiting for them. Along with the generals of Konoha and the delegation from Sunagakure, Neji, TenTen, Lee, Kiba, Hanabi and Hinata were there. The parlor was soon humming with the conversations of everyone present. Naruto stood up and cheered at the sight of Kakashi.

"Sensei! I have been waiting for you forever!"

"Good to see you too Naruto!"

"So how did it go?"

"Well we had a couple of unexpected events but overall, the mission's results are positive." The masked Jounin replied with an unseen smile

"Good. Order, everybody! Order!" The room went gradually silent "Kakashi-sensei, you may begin when ready" The white-haired man cleared his throat and complied.

"Well, to begin, we have been able to see through the two-layered illusion spell that guards the entrance to the Land of the Sound. The first is generated by the sound of a ghost musical instrument, a very rare jutsu type. However, we couldn't locate the sources since they use ultrasound that can't be heard by the human ear, making the illusion even more powerful and difficult to dispel. But there is a way that I'll explain later on. Once this is done, the second layer is even harder to get through. It's a permanent jutsu generated by shikigamis and jufus that can't actually be broken from outside. It forms like an invisible and sentient wall. The only way to get through is to get rid of all your hostile thoughts and feelings. Then you have to get through it all at once. But if a single one fails in stripping down their aggressiveness, the wall will remain hermetic."

"Don't you think they will have changed the barrier type now that you have broken through these ones?" Naruto asked

"It's impossible to certify anything on that matter. All we know is that they hadn't changed anything when we left Otogakure."

"Alright then. Go on."

"We could get a glimpse of the Otokage, Kabuto Yakushi. Basically, he has federated all the former followers of Orochimaru, and has gained the support of the Kages of the Lands of Grass, Rain and other small countries. Physically, he has developed features similar to that of his former master: very fair skin, but not utterly white though, and snake-like eyes. We haven't been able to witness the extent of his powers yet. His outward goal is to unite all countries that are too small or too weak militarily under his cause and counterbalance the power of stronger nations such as the Land of Fire or the Land of Wind." Kakashi stopped to take a deep breath and continued "Of course, his actual goal is very different. Actually, Kabuto-san has the ambition of finishing the task that Orochimaru and the Akatsuki initiated, namely to fathom the quintessence of all existing jutsus and create a superlative weapon. To that end, Kabuto-san does not plan on using the Bijuus at all nor does he plan something akin to taking over his neighbors. As usual, it has not been possible to know the entire truth of his intentions, the only way being asking him directly. As for why he has allied himself to other small nations, there is one possible explanation: the Land of the Sound's intelligence network was too small for him to obtain information efficiently. Thus, he has created a larger army of spies and informants to serve his goals. This last statement has been confirmed by the discovery of an ANBU-like section upon inspecting the HQ's of Kabuto-san."

"Good job!" Naruto said

"Why haven't you been inspecting them earlier?" Hinata asked

"Well, the Yakushi boy vanished after the demise of Orochimaru. Since he posed no direct threat at the time, we took care of other priorities and ended up loosing his track. The boy is a wild card, we all know that. But he never expressed any hard feelings towards Konohagakure or any other country for that matter. Moreover, on his own, he was pretty powerless back then." Shizune answered

Hinata nodded and smiled in agreement.

"Anko please." The Godaime's former attendant said

"Yamato and I have been checking out the various dens of the former Otokage." The boyish woman explained "Most of them are deserted but some of them are still used as lodging or medical facilities. Only a handful is used for 'scientific' research, meaning experiments on willing subjects. However, we caught track of a very characteristic chakra in the process."

"The Sharingan, ain't it?" Shino said

"Precisely. Actually, we were so dumbfounded to sense it that we got straight towards its source. Madara Uchiha has quickly caught us in his technique but, inexplicably, he let go of us before even torturing us or anything, saying he had other things to do than wasting time on us. He also said that he didn't care if we ever revealed his presence, but that it wouldn't be wise to go chase after him, blah blah blah and other trite shit like this. Further investigation revealed that he and the current Otokage had some kind of non-aggression deal together but they don't seem to cooperate for any particular purpose. His plans are yet unknown."

"And he let you go like this? Without even mauling you or questioning you?" a perplexed Naruto asked

"We didn't get it either." Yamato answered "With Kakashi, Shizune-san and Gai on another spot, we weren't powerful enough to take on him thus we couldn't search his hideout and we left the scene. However, the last night we spent over there, I was keeping watch and saw him carrying somebody along. He was too fast and I couldn't go after him without putting my comrades in danger."

"We have an idea of the person he was carrying, don't worry." Shikamaru said "One big question remains: how can Madara Uchiha be alive?"

"This I can explain." Kakashi answered "The Mangekyo Sharingan that Madara uses has granted him immortality. Sasuke didn't manage to kill him back then as I suspected. It must have taken him quite some time to recover but one thing is for sure: the man we saw back upon dismantling the Akatsuki was not Uchiha Obito but Madara in disguise. He simply took the appearance of my former team mate which wasn't that difficult for an experienced ninja like him."

"Right." Naruto said, already pondering.

"So what do you plan to do, Hokage-sama?" Gai asked, already yearning for new orders

"Simple. I reckon we can't leave Madara Uchiha roam free any longer. The problem is we can't obliterate him as he is immortal. But I mean to destroy him all the same, him and anybody involved in his schemes in one way or another. As for the Otokage, we won't do anything to him at the moment but we will keep him in check."

Then Naruto noticed that Shikamaru was figuring out a strategy, judging by his characteristic posture. They didn't have time to talk more. A knock at the door was heard. In came Sakura, Ino and Chouji. The blonde kunoichi and the Akimichi heir were in a mess. The mission with ANBU must've been hectic.

"Ah, there you are you two!" Naruto greeted "Where is Sai?"

"He's in intensive care." Sakura reply with an air of dejection

"What happened?" Hinata asked

"Well we were trying to get information and documents from the secondary lairs of ROOT but we got ambushed. Sai tried to protect us and got skewered by one of the ROOT nins who snuck up on us. Fortunately, I could give him first aid. Chouji has just been awesome! He simply wiped them all! He has combined the Body Expansion and the Human Boulder techniques to their max and he crushed them like mash!" Ino told with enthusiasm "Tonight I will reward you…" She whispered in her team mate's ear making him blush

"Chouji-kun… I wouldn't have thought you'd be so violent…" Shizune asked the long haired boy

"Well, you know what they say about the wrath of gentle men don't you?" he answered with a warm smile "Self explanatory."

"On a second note, ROOT is now taking our little meddling as an open act of betrayal towards Konoha. They have threatened to have us incarcerated and tried as soon as they can." Ino added

In his corner, Shikamaru had finished his brain work and came up to the Rokudaime's desk.

"I think I figured some things out. First off, if we want to permanently get rid of Madara Uchiha, we need to find his weakness despite his strength."

"I guess you have an idea about it." Naruto stated

"He sure does." Temari answered in his stead "So have I"

"What do you think?" Shikamaru challenged her with one of his smirks

She gave her answer. Shikamaru gave her an appreciative look.

"Bravo. I guess it was pretty obvious though."

Everyone's jaw dropped.

"How come we didn't think of this before…" a disgruntled Kakashi said

"Yes indeed" Yamato approved

"Is it really that simple?" Shino inquired, skeptical as always

"Well it's not everything but that's the most important point in the process of defeating him."

"What do you think he needs Konan for by the way?" the Aburame heir added

"I have no idea but there are many chances that he'd use her as a hostage if we get the jump on him. It'd be unnecessary trouble. This is why it would be preferable to free Konan before anything else. But there is also something we must do aside from this. We need to search Madara's lair. He's been around longer than anyone in here. He must have kept some valuable information there. Moreover, since it seems that ROOT is now aware of our intentions towards them, it's not impossible that they'll try something on our way to Otogakure or here as we're away."

"We'd like to add something." Chouji said "ROOT is indeed 'rooted' everywhere. Getting rid of the Land of Fire's division means only to cripple one of the ROOTS. There are actually other similar organizations in other countries such as the Land of Wind or the Land of Earth."

"We already know about this, Akimlchi-san." Gaara replied "My own sensei and his men are working on them currently. Our daimyo's demise has prompted them into keeping a low profile but they are still active. Their leader has not yet been identified though."

"First things first, anyway." Shino said "We will get rid of any ROOT operative that refuses to surrender, including corrupted ANBU members. Sakura, please inform Sai as soon as he is able to speak."

"Alright." Sakura agreed

"I'm glad to hear we have a chance to doom Danzo. " an idiotically grinning Naruto blurted, rubbing his hands and already devising ways to inflict him the most painful punishment on the armless elder "Now then! Time for dispatching the tasks!" The Rokudaime said "I will personally lead the expedition to Otogakure with the aid of my generals and that of sensei. While I'm away, the ones who stay here will take orders from Hinata and will report to her."

"Naruto! Can't I come with you? I don't want to sit here and wait for your return!" Hinata pleaded

"Your role is vital, honey." Naruto answered kindly "I need someone to protect the village and to lead our fellows if needed. I'm quite certain ROOT will try something."

"Me? But…"

"Do you want to help me?"

"Yes…"

"Then do as I say." Naruto told her with a serious stare "You can do it, Hinata. And I know you will do great."

Hinata nodded a silent agreement.

"With that settled, Shikamaru, Shino, Kakashi-sensei will announce the names of the persons requested for tomorrow's expedition."

"Naruto"

"Yes Gaara?"

"We shall come to help."

"You want to come? Seriously?

"Yes. Don't expect us to stay here and wait for your return. The Akatsuki also infiltrated us back then and betrayed us"

"Quite the way you backstabbed us as well, may I say." Neji put in. He never liked the Sand denizens. His code of honour always said that you can't trust somebody who betrayed you once. Gaara and him couldn't actually get along and would avoid the company of one another.

"Neji! Not here and not now!" TenTen reasoned with him

Gaara sent him a contemptuous look but didn't respond. Kankuro was about to open his big mouth to answer right back at the noble but Matsuri put her arm in front of him and shook her head. The paint-smudged Sunan kept mum begrudgingly.

"I don't think this is time for picking fights, Neji." The Rokudaime scolded the Hyuuga boy. "Anyway, Gaara, your help is welcome. We'll include you in the platoon. Now please Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Shino."

"Well then there will be 3 teams." Shikamaru said "With me, Chouji, Temari, Ino and Lee."

"I shall take Kankuro-san, Sakura, Hanabi and Kiba with me" Shino said

"Neji, TenTen, Anko and Yamato" Kakashi finished

"Perfectly done" Gaara praised "You've got a perfect lineup here."

"Me and Gaara shall lead the expedition." Naruto said. "Gai and Shizune will stay here and help Hinata in case of need. I suppose Matsuri-san will stay here too?" he asked his Wind counterpart who nodded

"Gaara! Why can't I come with you?" Matsuri said with an inch of reproach in her voice

"You shall stay here and aid Hinata in keeping Konohagakure safe from harm." Gaara said with his neutral tone, indicating that there wouldn't be any discussion on the matter. Matsuri bowed her head. Gaara took her chin between 2 fingers and lifted up her head "Your role is just as vital as ours, Matsuri. I am not leaving you out, I am just giving you other responsibilities. Moreover, you are not trained enough yet to take on somebody as powerful as Madara Uchiha himself. Do you understand?"

"I understand." She said darkly

"We are to meet tomorrow at the gates at 07:00 am. It takes 36 hours from here to Otogakure. We will depart all at once. If anyone's late, we won't wait." Naruto said with a glance towards Kakashi who scratched his head with an invisible smile "Any questions?"

No answer.

"Good. You're all dismissed for tonight. See y'all tomorrow!"

With that, everyone disbanded.

Somewhere else, in a remote district of Konohagakure, twilight…

A solitary, clumsy figure walked down the dimly lit streets. Danzo wouldn't usually come into such a neighborhood. For the sake of discretion, the maimed Elder was using a transformation jutsu. He stopped in a lightless blind alley. In the darkness, he clearly saw a pair of bright red eyes staring at him.

"Stay right where you are, Danzo."

"Alright. I guess you already know the news about our senior Jounins breaking in Otogakure?"

"Yes I do. They are so predictable. I knew they would want to organize an expedition after this. But they're too late already. If they want to get Konan, they will have to deal with me first. As for the other thing, they won't make any impression on it. No one has a clue about it apparently."

"And Yakushi-san?"

"Still refusing to cooperate more but I can't make him. If I kill him, my cover is lost and it's still too early for acting openly. Therefore, we may leave him alone for the moment. Is the situation under control here?"

"Well, we are loosing more and more men." The old man answered, a little embarrassed "They have clearly stated that they wanted to take ROOT down. In Suna, my ROOT section is still pretty safe, mostly due to the absence of the Kazekage at the moment."

"Have you scheduled anything for tomorrow?"

"We have arranged a platoon to welcome them on the way to the Land of the Rice Fields. They may weaken them enough for you to deal with them more easily"

"Perfect. Just one thing." Madara said sternly

"Yes?"

A sudden pain to the chest struck the one-eyed Elder. However, not a single drop of blood stained the ground or his clothes.

"M-Madara-san…w-what…?" Danzo stammered

"You're no longer needed to carry out my will, Danzo. You may take this as your severance. For you and your subordinates. Don't be frustrated, I am just hasting things. You would have died in one or two weeks anyways. You've been a wonderful pawn but I reckon it's time to get rid of what is not necessary. Your ROOT sections have been ferreted out then their downfall is impending. And this will buy enough time for me to finish. I shall go now, excuse me."

Danzo gazed at the Uchiha traitor, accepting his fate. He always knew that cooperating with the former Akatsuki leader meant his eventual death at his hands. But he wasn't expecting to be disposed of at this moment.

At least I could give my last orders to Amano in time, he thought as his vision blurred, as he watched Madara walk away calmly.

A little earlier, Konoha's heights…

To be able to share some quality time before the big day that would come too early was an unexpected luxury that none of them would pass by. The sun was lingering in the sky for a little moment more and the clouds were splashed by an explosion of rare colours. Shikamaru was lying on his favourite grassy spot, looking up at the peacefully drifting atmospheric phenomena. A certain blonde with four pigtails was resting her head on his chest, looking up as well and learning to appreciate the claming effect of cloud-watching. Both were silent, simply enjoying each other's company, easing their nervousness. The smooth breeze that blew tonight resonated in their ears as the light gradually faded to let the first stars appear.

"So in the end your parents don't like the idea of us together either, eh? I thought they were already aware of it." Temari stated neutrally

"That's not it. They knew it of course and don't see anything wrong with it. They just don't approve of your being pregnant with my child. They just say it's a reckless move."

"I can understand. I guess my brothers will give me the same kind of lecture when they know about it. Kankuro will certainly want to kill you!"

Both shared a laugh.

"Don't worry about my parents" Shikamaru said "About our relationship, they don't mind it at all, you know that. Do you remember the first time I've introduced you to them?"

"Sure I do!"

5 years ago, the Nara household, a few weeks before Naruto's return…

"Ma, Pa, this is Sabaku no Temari, the Kazekage's sister with whom I am working on the Chuunin exams."

"Nice to meet you, Mrs Nara." Temari greeted, bowing respectfully before the Nara matriarch who bowed in response "I think we already met Mr Nara. It's a pleasure to see you again"

"it's an honour to welcome you. Please make yourself at home." Shikaku replied

"Yes. I am getting some tea for us all. Shikamaru dear, please come to help your beloved mother." Yoshino told her son with a dangerous smile.

"Yes, mom" the Nara heir agreed, knowing that he was doomed, and followed his mother in the kitchen while Temari and Shikaku sit around the living room's table

In the kitchen, Yoshino grabbed her son's arm violently

"You invited Suna's ambassador in our house without even warning me. How do you want me to kill you?"

"But Ma I…"

"What if I hadn't run the errands? What if I hadn't finished the cleaning? How do you think we'd be considered? Go back in the living room! I'll see about your punishment later."

Shikamaru complied sheepishly, preparing himself mentally for said punishment. In the living room, Papa Shika and Temari were already conversing.

"…so I accepted the job. I'll be bouncing back and forth between our two countries for the next months until we're all set. However, I can't linger here too much."

"That will be a lot of work for you and my son. Isn't that too much for you Shikamaru?"

"It's a pain but these are the orders of the Hokage. I must aid Suna's ambassador in the making of the exams."

"And he just loves it, although he will never admit it." Temari said with one of her huge grins "Don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Shikamaru pouted

"Shikamaru! Do not be rude to our guest!" Yoshino barked as she brought the tea "Here." She said much more nicely as she handed a cup to Temari "So you're working on the Chuunin exams. I hope our son is not lazing around too much."

"Oh he'd better not. He knows just what awaits him if he does!" Temari answered before sharing a laugh with Yoshino

Shikamaru wanted to dissolve and evaporate at that very moment. He knew that this first meeting would be at best troublesome. Temari and his mom getting together… It was too much to handle, most of all if they actually liked each other. Seeing his son's disgruntlement, Shikaku mercifully asked him to come and help him with the deers for a while. Both promised to show the property to Temari later that day.

"Shika, you're walking on hot bricks aren't you? The girl is like your mother!"

"I know that, pa. She's even worse than Mom, I tell ya…" a glimpse of a dead Tayuya under a sliced trunk made him shiver

Shikaku smirked and sniggered, before lighting up a cigarette and looking away.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Curvaceous, strong, apparently quite smart, violent, domineering…"

"Yeah. So?"

"Daughter-in-law material, son. Even though you shouldn't date a foreign ninja…"

"We're absolutely not dating Pa!"

"Yeah right!" Shikaku said before laughing out loud at his now furious son

Inside the house…

"I'm glad to hear that you and my son are getting along so well…" Yoshino stated with a gentle smile "It can only do good to the diplomatic relations between our countries."

"Well, there are only a few men that have gained my esteem and your son is one of them. He might be lazy as hell, I can only respect someone so skilled at strategy."

"And you accompanied him while he was waiting for Chouji… How considerate…" Yoshino's stare was turning fishy

"Well that was the least I could do." Temari answered before drinking some tea

"How long have you been dating my son?"

Temari choked on her sip and coughed before managing to say "Excuse me?"

"Well you're an attractive, strong, exotic young lady. Just his type. Not to mention the awful amount of time you spend together..."

"Mrs Nara I have no intention of going out with your son! I do like him but only as a business partner."

"Huh-huh. Well it'd better remain that way for the time being"

Both women defied each other with a fierce look until Yoshino relaxed before smiling sincerely at the woman before her, unnerving a slightly riled Temari in the bargain.

"But I must admit Shikamaru has a nice taste. I wouldn't want him to date some hussied-up tramp. At least, he got himself a respectable young woman who can get him to work." Yoshino said

"I appreciate the compliments Mrs Nara but I assure you we're not dating in any way, shape or form."

"It won't be long before you do, Temari-san. Trust me. Not to mention that you already like him a lot. I'm a woman as well. I just know when another woman has the hots for a man." Yoshino stood up and took away the tray with to the kitchen, sending her guest a playful grin. Temari didn't answer and blushed horribly.

What a shrewd woman. She thought. I don't know if I have to believe each and everything they say about mothers-in-law but I do see why Shikamaru and his father are afraid of her. I have a lot to learn from her!

Back in the present…

Both lovers laughed at the memory before standing up and walking back down to Konaha downtown.

"I just love your mother!"

"I bet you do! But I think you'd better not see her again before this shit is settled. Where are you staying tonight by the way?"

"The Hokage is accommodating us at the Officials' building as usual."

"You do have a personal room then?" the Lazy Genius asked with glittery eyes

"Of course I do. Why?" Temari said with a falsely coy face

"I'd love to make your brother angrier than ever…"

"He'd better not barge in my room or he'll have to face my wrath. And he knows it…"

"This time, I'm in charge. So be a nice little woman and let your man take care of things." He said before holstering her in his arms and leaping up towards the roofs before she could even react

"You are going to suffer for this." Temari told her suddenly bold Nara ninja

"Like hell I would. Told ya, tonight I'm in charge!"

"In your dreams!" she said as she struggled to get free but soon saw that her wrists and ankles were tied by shadow strings " Shikamaru! I don't allow you to do this! Once we're in the room, you are getting what's coming to you!"

The bickering went on until both arrived in Temari's room in the Officials' building, preparing for another round of their own special wrestling…

In the meantime, the Land of the Rice Fields, Uchiha Madara's hideout…

She had felt Madara going out this evening. He didn't put anyone to guard her or to keep her from escaping. But she knew better than trying to fool the Grand Master Uchiha. She knew that she wasn't strong enough to take on him on her own and that doing so would mean her inevitable death. And she didn't want to die. Not after what she saw in the ANBU secret chambers. She also knew he wouldn't be back until tomorrow so she took advantage of this little time out to investigate the place. She took her standard chakra moulding form and turned herself into that paper whirl that only she could create, turning herself into a swarm of origami butterflies that went searching each and every recess of the lair. All rooms were invariably empty, all of them furnished the same with packed up bookshelves, containing the results of decades of research. She was in one of the many libraries of Orochimaru. She had already heard of them since Madara would often steal information from the White Snake back in the days of Akatsuki.

She had been searching the place for quite some time and eventually decided to send one of her butterflies outside to have an idea of the surroundings. From her paper scout, she could see and hear everything, as if her mind was traveling along with her origami. Outside, the landscape was nothing but a forest of very old trees that hid the entrance of a few other hideouts. A glade could be seen from afar. The origami went all around the tree towering over the hidden library before a loud growl was heard from beneath the ground… Not like an earthquake, rather like a raging lion or a huge tidal wave. She made her paper animal come closer to the source. It came from under this crack in the ground, next to the deserted library. It was really narrow but not tiny enough to impede a sheet of paper from slithering under. It was very dark of course but a little more time and her eyes could actually see around where the sheet of paper was. A little more inspection and she could make out a stack of books and what looked like a sealing chamber. The growl echoed through the place again. She wanted to see where it was coming from and went farther towards the source. Upon seeing it, she was a little startled but not actually surprised.

Pffft! I knew it she thought. And I have been dumb enough to believe him in the first place. The bastard has been lying to me all along. So that is what he has in mind? Interesting albeit prosaic. It already failed many times by the past, I wonder how he plans to make this come to fruition. Lust for power can turn any great thinker into a numbskull I suppose. But anyways he'll never get what he wants from me. I will die if I follow his plans so it's time to find a way out of here.

The paper sheet flew back lazily towards its owner.